Durell Thomas Jr. is a student journalist at Arizona State University assigned to cover Marcos De Niza High School for AZPreps365.com

Snowflake has run it back this season to keep the 3A state title.

In a clash between the conference tournament's top seeds, the No. 2 Lobos defeated the Valley Christian Trojans in four sets (25-21, 16-25, 25-16, 25-22) in the championship on Friday. 

From the onset, the match promised intensity. Valley Christian entered the postseason on an unbeaten 17-0 record, and Snowflake was 16-1. Valley Christian boasts a predominantly young roster and one senior, libero Avery Schmidt. In contrast, Snowflake has five seniors leveraged their experience. 

The Lobos charged into the first set, securing ongoing scores from senior Kloah Ulberg, and her teammate Chelsea Caskey's two pivotal kills clinched it.

Undeterred by Valley Christian winning the second set, Snowflake stormed into the third on an 8-3 lead, powered by Caskey's multiple kills. Braxton Jones played a crucial role in winning the third for Snowflake's 2-1 lead.

The final set was a rollercoaster, with both teams refusing to concede.

Macey Gardner's match-point kill sealed the deal, securing a fourth set victory and the title.

"When we play as a team, we're unstoppable. Everybody did their job, played as a team, attacked on offense, and worked hard on defense," Snowflake head coach Jamie Robinson said.

Ulberg reflected on the victory as a comeback story, stating, "We lost to Valley Christian during the season in three sets. We came out tonight, and we won."

Snowflake senior Livi Schneider highlighted the team's resilience in the face of adversity.

"We've had to overcome a lot of injuries to get here," Schneider said. "I broke my shin, one of our girls tore a muscle. We just had to push through the injuries, and I just think we deserve this."